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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday expressed deep concern over what it described as the persecution of religious minorities in India, citing recent incidents of vandalism during Christmas and continued violence against Muslims. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said incidents targeting minorities had intensified &quot;fear and alienation&quot; among affected communities, according to a press release issued on Monday.&nbsp; &quot;Recent condemnable incidents of vandalism during Christmas, as well as state-sponsored campaigns targeting Muslims &mdash; including the demolition of their homes and repeated lynchings &mdash; have alarmed the international community,&quot; Andrabi stated, specifically referencing the case of Muhammad Akhlaq, a Muslim man killed in a lynching.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 1068px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2005539819641004519&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=3d24efb1b6300fa7849c6a215596c2a99bee9f50&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2005539819641004519"></iframe></div></div>Andrabi&#39;s statement comes after a volatile week in India that saw coordinated attacks on Christian celebrations. On Wednesday, a coalition of right-wing Hindu groups enforced a statewide shutdown in Chhattisgarh, disrupting Christmas festivities amid protests over alleged religious conversions. A mob of 40 to 50 men armed with sticks stormed Raipur&#39;s Magneto Mall, tearing down Christmas decorations and questioning shoppers about their religious identity before damaging property. Earlier, the Catholic Bishops&#39; Conference of India condemned an &quot;alarming&quot; rise in attacks on Christians, pointing to a viral video allegedly showing a local BJP official physically harassing a visually impaired woman attending a Christmas program in Madhya Pradesh. Civil society groups have documented the scale of the issue. The United Christian Forum, in a letter to India&rsquo;s home minister dated Dec 23, said it had documented 834 incidents of violence against Christians in India through November 2024, averaging 69.5 incidents monthly over the past decade. &quot;The list of such victims is sadly long,&quot; the spokesperson added, suggesting the recent incidents are part of a broader pattern of religious intolerance. Andrabi called on the international community to &quot;take appropriate steps to help protect the fundamental rights of vulnerable communities in India.&quot;&nbsp;

A priest blesses children dressed as Santa Claus on the occasion of Christmas at a church in Amritsar on December 25, 2025. (Photo by Narinder NANU / AFP)

Politics

Foreign Affairs

 Pakistan on Monday expressed deep concern over what it described as the persecution of religious minorities in India, citing recent incidents of vandalism during Christmas and continued violence against Muslims.

Articles tagged with "Violence"

Pakistan warns of growing violence against minorities in India

Pakistan warns of growing violence against minorities in India